A Family Meal at St Mary’s Inn, Morpeth

October 2, 2016 by Rachel Kershaw in Eating Out 5

Today I’m talking proper pub grub that’s perfect for the whole family… I’m talking St Mary’s Inn near Morpeth. This hidden gem of a country pub is one of the North East’s finest. I’ve previously blogged about the lovely lunches and festive afternoon tea from St Mary’s but my most recent visit was a chance to check out what the kid’s meals are like too as I had my favourite kiddiwinks with me, Jack and Emily my niece and nephew.

Credit: Scarlett PR

Like most four year olds, Jack and Emily love anything with chips; sausages and nuggets are always a winner and pasta goes down well too. So it was somewhat of a relief to see that the St Mary’s Inn children’s menu featured all their favourites. It was an added bonus to discover that a main, dessert and drink was just £5 per child!

For the bargain price of a fiver I was astounded by the quality of the food and the generous portion sizes, I would have happily ordered one for myself! Both kids chose the fish fingers for their main but I would say that cod bites would have been a more accurate description because their meals were simply smaller versions of my humongous fish and chips! The batter on the fish was light and crisp and absolutely delicious!

My mum ordered Lamb Navarin, our waitress explained it was a French style stew but what arrived was a much more sophisticated dish than we had anticipated! Mum said it tasted as wonderful as it looked! It was a meal that certainly wouldn’t look out of a place in a fine dining restaurant so to find this on the all day dining menu of a traditional pub for £14.95 was a pleasant surprise!

My Dad went for the Rare Breed Pork Sausage which was served with Mustard Mash Potatoes, Cabbage, Roast Onions and Pork Sauce. It was a hearty dish, the kind I would describe as comfort food and the mustard in the mash was the perfect flavour to accompany the tender pork.

James and I both went for the fish and chips, I never can resist the great British classic and the chef at St Mary’s Inn didn’t let us down with generous helping of thick cut chips, mouthwatering beer batter wrapped around delicate cod and loads of homemade tartare sauce!

It was a lovely day outside and sunlight flood in through the windows of the pub, we got a whole dining room to ourselves as most of the pub’s other diners were soaking up the last of the summer sun in the courtyard.

The interior design of St Mary’s Inn is cosy yet quirky, there is local art to be admired in every corner and on every wall, the kids loved spotting the wire animals that have found a home here!

After our belly busting mains we didn’t really need dessert but once we took a look at the menu we couldn’t resist. So we retreated to a table outside and enjoyed our sweet treats in the sunshine. Banana split for Jack, ice cream for Emily and sticky toffee pudding for the grown ups.

This is one of several desserts that can be ordered in two sizes, a great idea for those with a sweet tooth and a small appetite. I went for the smaller option at £3.75 and was very impressed! I’d go so far as to say it was the best sticky toffee pudding I’ve had this year (and if you’re a regular reader you’ll know it’s not a rare treat)!

A ‘small’ but perfectly formed sticky toffee pudding!

St Mary’s Inn might be a little bit isolated and is probably tricky to get to without a car, but it’s well worth seeking out. Plus, with eleven beautifully designed bedrooms, it’s the perfect base if you want to stay and explore Northumberland, the B&B is dog friendly too!

Have you experienced St Mary’s Inn? I’d love to hear your thoughts!